This invention relates in general to plant materials and methods, and in particular to methods of modifying agricultural co-products, and products such as polymer composites made with the modified co-products.
The high cost of petroleum-based fuels is resulting in increased production of biofuels such as biodiesel and ethanol. This is expected to result in an oversupply of agricultural co-products, which are the plant materials remaining after the plants are used to produce the biofuel. For example, the production of biodiesel uses the oil from soybeans or other plants and leaves co-products such as flakes, stems and hulls. Finding industrial applications for the co-products would improve the economics of the biofuel industry and enhance the profitability of farmers.
Oil extraction from grains generally results in co-products that contain both proteins and carbohydrates. The current practice is to isolate and purify to separate the proteins and carbohydrates from each other for later use as surfactants, rheology modifiers, fillers, etc. However, isolating proteins and carbohydrates from agricultural co-products is a very expensive process, which has hindered commercialization of the products.
The increase in oil prices has escalated the cost of petroleum-derived polymers. If the petroleum-derived polymers can be partially replaced by other materials, this substitution would save costs and reduce environmental waste associated with the polymers. Composites have been produced in which a portion of the polymer is replaced by plant-derived materials, but the existing commercial products are either based on isolated proteins or carbohydrates as fillers.
It would be desirable to provide improved methods and products using agricultural co-products and other plant materials.